Jaipur’s Hawa Mahal

Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh’s most favoured resort, Hawa Mahal or the “Palace of the Winds,” is a 50 feet, five-storey monument that was built in 1799, with such elegance and tasteful appeal. The highly admired facade of Hawa Mahal, with 953 niches of carved Jharokhas or latticed windows is best viewed from the outside road. Also called the “specimen of fanciful architecture,” it highly reflects the combined Islamic Mughal architecture and the Hindu Rajput architecture. Domed canopies, finials, pillars, windows and colourful marbles ornamented the rooms. The palace’s courtyard also houses double storeyed buildings and an archaeological museum. The red and pink coloured sand stones are manifestations of how carefully planned the structure was, in appellation to Jaipur’s “Pink City.” With Lal Chand Ustad being the architect, a keen eye has definitely overseen the construction of this unique structure.

As most locals advise, in order to get a breathtaking glimpse of Hawa Mahal, one must see it early in the morning as the sunrise creates an amazing backdrop and seems to lit the monument and fill the entire chamber with a vibrant spectrum of colours.

Hawa mahal is situated in the south of the highly accessible Jaipur city. As major highways, an international Airport and the central main train station of the Indian Railways connect the area to the rest of the country.